HeartShare

HeartShare Human Services of New York nurtures and empowers children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through multiple services, including education, life skills and vocational training, recreation, family supports, and health care. One of the largest service organizations in New York, HeartShare touches the lives of 35,000 people annually. For over 100 years, the organization helped disadvantaged children and their families through thick and thin. Manoverboard designed HeartShare’s website in 2005, which lasted over a decade. The organization returned to us after creating a new communications strategy.

HeartShare had a bold vision for a new site. They wanted a modern look with a high degree of customized functionality. They wanted their clients to find the information they needed as quickly and easily as possible. They also wanted donors to be able to contribute simply and seamlessly. Their numerous events, including galas, charity runs, and fundraisers were important to their ongoing financial success. As a large nonprofit, HeartShare regularly produces new video, blog and other content about their work in the community. Website accessibility was also a top priority. It was critical for the organization (and for Manoverboard) that visitors, regardless of visual, cognitive, or hearing impairment, could access all website content.

Our Solution

Working closely with the HeartShare team, we designed a large, engaging site while achieving a high standard of accessibility. Our strategy involved identifying key personas and audiences for the organization and building a user interface that would easily help visitors find the information they need. Our content strategy ensured that HeartShare staff could craft content that matched its audience’s needs. The new site features simple navigation and strong, inviting imagery that reinforces its plain language content.

The site also easily converts to plain text allowing a visitor with a screen reader to hear what is on the page they are viewing and to navigate easily. We also designed the site in colours that made it easier to read for those with colour blindness. We also built an interactive timeline that walks visitors through HeartShare’s unique 100-year history. Manoverboard provides ongoing technical and content support to HeartShare and its numerous subsidiary organizations.

Manoverboard has been an incredibly supportive web design team. HeartShare Human Services has been a client of Manoverboard for over 10 years. The team is composed of people not only willing to answer any questions that arise, but also who are thoughtful and put in the extra time to think about what is right for our agency's brand and how we present ourselves. Great company led by the socially responsible, all-around upstanding Andrew Boardman.